I got crafty

A few weeks back, we went to a craft show. A friend of Josh's mom's was selling hair bows and headbands, so she bought some for Hannah and I have been itching to try to make some bows of my own. There are so many cute ideas, but they are for kids that actually have hair - which Hannah does not. I did a quick Google search this afternoon while I was browsing aimlessly at Hobby Lobby. I found a pretty self explanatory how-to website, and came home to make these.

I can't wait for Hannah to have some hair so I can do more. For now, these will get clipped onto a headband and look just as cute!

Day Six - something that makes me happy

This is easy!

I was terrified when we brought Hannah home from the hospital. Cameron was used to attention 24/7, and I was sure that once another baby was thrown into the mix, his attitude would change completely. I was wrong. Since the day she was born, he has LOVED giving her kisses. He helps feed her bottles, finds her paci when she cries, and hushes people while she sleeps. He already has the protective older brother role down. I am so excited to watch them grow up together. I just know they will have an awesome relationship.

Day Five - My Favorite Recipes

I am not big on recipes. Josh and I aren't the pickiest eaters, but there certainly things we avoid (ie: fish), so we find a few things we like to make, and we make them regularly.

After Hannah was born, I waited about 6 weeks and started Weight Watchers. While on that diet (Josh at the same foods I did), we ate a LOT of salad. I developed a love for romaine lettuce with fresh cut strawberries, feta cheese (just a little) and Kraft Light Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing. I ate that 2 times a day most days, and could have probably eaten it for breakfast too. I was looking through the recipes on the WW website and came across a chicken recipe that looked awesome, so I made it. It was chicken breast cut up in bite sized pieces, then cooked - in GARLIC (my fave). After it was cooked, I added low sodium chicken broth and a tiny bit of teriyaki sauce. I let that simmer for about 5 minutes, paired it with brown rice and steamed veggies and had a delicious dinner. Yum.

I made a lasagna for Josh before we had babies and fell in love with the meat sauce that was in it, so I started using it as a spaghetti sauce. All that is was ground beef (again, cooked in minced garlic), a can of tomato sauce, a can of diced tomatoes and a decent amount of italian seasoning. That was a staple in our house for a long time. We also had baked mac&cheese that I made quite often from my Betty Crocker cookbook.

We don't use much besides these few recipes. We like to eat simple things, because let's face it, neither of us are awesome cooks, and with 2 kids, time in the kitchen is just not something we get a lot of anymore. I am hoping to find some new recipes to try out (that are hopefully diet friendly). We need some variety around here!

Day Four - My Parents.

Hmm, how do I start this? My parents have known each other since they were in high school. I don't really know all the specifics, but I think that is right. Fast forward a few years, they have a daughter (me) in March of 1986 and they get married in March of 1987. In January of 1988, my brother is born. Life goes on for 20 years, and things start to fall apart. My parents were ultimately divorced sometime in early 2009.

Let's talk about them individually for a minute.

This is my mom (with Hannah, Cameron and Josh's stepdad)

My mom is funny. She likes to tell (sometimes gross) stories and jokes and loves to make me laugh. She is VERY good at it! She lives in Scottsdale Arizona (which is too far away) and is married to a very nice guy. She spoils her grandbabies like it is a full-time job, and sends them cute outfits, toys and Cameron's favorite snacks. Growing up, she was more the 'good cop' and made things a little easier on me. She is awesome and I love her.

My dad with Hannah.

Now onto my dad. Growing up, we had a terrible relationship. There is just something about our personalities that did not click well. I guess the saying 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' really is true, because when I moved home from California, things were much different. We have a pretty good relationship now. He lives a little more than an hour away, really close to Lake Michigan. We don't get to see him as often as I would like, but he keeps busy with a job and his new wife. I think he is very happy in his life right now.

Day Three - My First Love

Gah, it is going to be painful to write about this. But it all goes along with the getting to know me, so here goes...

The first time I was in real love was when I was 16. I had gone through the ups and downs of relationships before that, but this was the first one that felt real. I was pretty consumed with school and hanging out with my friends at the time, so living single and focusing on things besides boys was pretty nice. Then came the day that one of my friends introduced me to a group of guys she had met at a teen dance club. I can't remember too much about the beginning of our relationship anymore, but I know that it wasn't love at first sight. We lived completely different lives (I'll leave it at that). He was just about 2 years older than me and lived 40 miles away. He had a driver's license, but I didn't. (If you recall from this post, I didn't get my license until I was 20). We talked on the phone, a lot, and sometime in the winter of 2002, he was finally my boyfriend.

The next 2 years are kind of a blur. There were a lot of phone cards used, a lot of miles put on cars and a lot of weekends spent across state lines. There were days spent on the lake and nights court side at basketball games. I found my love for Buffalo Wild Wings while dating him as well. I can recall getting bored of a long-distance relationship and ended the relationship a couple of times. Along with first loves ultimately comes first heartbreak. Like I said before, I had been in relationships before, but they all seemed so juvenile compared to this one. So when my 18th birthday rolled around, I had been contemplating a HUGE move. My sister lived in California, and she had a friend that I had a major crush on. But that is not what ended the relationship.

He had been seeing another girl behind my back, and when my friend Amy and I arrived at his apartment to celebrate my birthday, she was there. I was devastated. Of course, he told me that nothing was going on, yada yada yada. There were words exchanged, tears shed, and I ultimately asked him to choose. Needless to say - he chose her and the relationship finally ended. That was in March, and by the end of May, I had graduated high school and was on a plane headed for Northern California. The brief year I spent there was filled with love and a (one time) great relationship that also ultimately ended in heartbreak (a much bigger heartbreak). But looking back now - it has been 5 years, and I don't regret one second of it. I am the person I am today because thanks to all the things I have gone through.

I am glad this post is over. It has been a long time since I was forced to think of those two relationships. See you tomorrow for something a little more positive!

Day Two - Blog Name

Well this will be a short and sweet post. The 2nd day of the 30-day challenge is to share the story behind your blog name.

My blog is called 'The Heystek Family' because that is who we are. We are Heysteks, and we are a family. I am not creative - by any means, so I just went with something simple.

See you tomorrow for another post!

Day One - Introduce Yourself

Okay! Here we go!

My name is Alyssa. I am 24 years old and I live in southwest Michigan - smack dab between Detroit and Chicago. I have been married to my husband Josh (who turns 26 on November 7th) since October 13, 2007, so a tiny bit more than 3 years. Together, we have a son (Cameron, born October 24, 2008) and a daughter (Hannah, born July 15, 2010). I am a stay at home mom, which I love 99% of the time.

Now let's see if I can come up with 15 random facts..

1) I was born in Santa Clara California
2) I have huge feet. They were a size 10, but after two babies, they are now an 11.
3) I hate bugs. No certain kind in particular, all of them.
4) I played the flute in band class all through middle school.
5) I have had surgery twice, 2 c-sections.
6) I have broken two bones (pinky finger & toe)  and had stitches in (a different) toe (remote control car accident).
7) I am afraid of heights.
8) I have only been out of the country once. We went to Canada when I was 19.
9) I didn't get my driver's license until I was 20.
10) My first job was at a restaurant called Ruby Tuesday. I was 15.
11) I love reading.
12) I am a sucker for chick flicks and romantic comedies.
13) I love to window shop.
14) My favorite holiday is Christmas (I am excited to decorate!).
15) I love the fall. It is my favorite season. The only thing I hate is the leaf clean up.

Alright! Day One is in the books. See you tomorrow!